Pure Destiny
by kazoquel4
Summary: Jack comes face-to-face with Destiny- literally. A charming young girl with silver eyes, she watches over the people of the world alone, the weight of a thousand different fates on her shoulders. But there's a great sadness hidden within her, and Jack is intrigued. When he strikes up an uneasy friendship with the spirit, who knows what will happen? Strictly friendship.


**A/N: This is not Jack/OC. This is just a friendship fic between them.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians.**

It was an ordinary day for Jack Frost, the spirit of winter and Guardian of Fun- that is, until he nearly pushed a girl off an ice-covered roof.

He hadn't _meant _to, of course. Girls were simply not supposed to be standing on roofs in the middle of December. No one was, for that matter. Jack was quite proud to say that he did a fine job with the snow this year, and had made sure each building in the city of Burgess was fully coated in a blanket of the fluffy white stuff. That generally discouraged the inhabitants of said city from taking any evening jaunts up to their roof, so Jack was quite content to skim the tops of the houses, observing the town's daily business from a closer point of view. It was also a much better way to get attention, and Jack loved when children would shout when he came into view, waving up at him and basically confusing the adults, who were unable to see the spirit walking amongst them.

It was late Friday afternoon when Jack was taking a last flight around the town. North had notified him earlier in the day that he was invited to the Pole that night for hot chocolate, an occasion Jack was eager to attend. Even after nearly a year as a Guardian, it still sent joyous flutters through his stomach when he was invited to little events such as these. He had never in all his three hundred years had someone to talk to, let alone someone who invited him over for dinner or tea. Jack loved the feeling he got from receiving these invitations nearly as much as he did going to them.

Jack was floating along on the wind at a relatively fast pace, wrapped up in his own thoughts and admittedly not paying too much attention, when he heard a frightened gasp. A head of black hair and a frightened face filled Jack's vision as he struggled to put on the brakes, but it was too late. He barreled into the figure standing in his path, letting out a pained grunt as he fell to the roof, landing in a pile of snow he had carefully laid out earlier. His staff clattered off to the side, coming to a rest a few feet away.

He was dazed for only a few seconds before his head popped up again. He scanned the roof he had so gracefully crashed onto with wide eyes, searching for the person he had run into. Seeing no one, he assumed that they must have fallen from the roof to the ground far below.

_Oh, please don't be a two-story house,_ Jack prayed, scrambling to the edge and cautiously peering down.

No such luck. The ground was very far down, and coated in only a thin layer of snow. It was always hard for him to get in-between houses, and besides, it was much more fun to coat the park. So he rarely did a thorough job in these sections of the town, hidden from the general public. Now he was sorely regretting his mistake as he swept his gaze around, looking for a body. He felt his heart thudding in his chest, ice creeping out from underneath his grip on the tiles of the roof.

Peculiarly enough, the snow beneath him was complete undisturbed. A slight frown laced his lips as he leaned farther over the edge, squinting in the dim light filtering into the area beneath him. He ignored his shaggy white hair that fell into his eyes, much too used to it flopping around in his face to let it encumber his vision.

"Careful. You might fall over the edge," a voice said from behind him.

He very nearly did fall off the roof at that point. He jumped to his feet in one swift movement, spinning around. He reached for his staff, feeling a flutter of panic when he found it wasn't at his side.

A girl stood on the opposite end of the roof, looking at him curiously. She had his staff in one hand, and was leaning on it, posture extraordinarily casual despite the absurdity of the entire scene. Her curly black hair was tossed carelessly over her shoulders, dusted with snowflakes that contrasted the darkness they had fallen on. A small smile graced her delicate lips, the slight raise of her eyebrows hinting at amusement. Her chin was sharp and angular, reminiscent of the rest of her features- all prominence and clean cuts. Her skin was pale enough to rival even Jack's, but the slight flush of her cheeks hinted at warmth. What struck Jack the most, however, were her eyes; they were big and silver and seemed to take up most of her face, demanding your attention.

She was beautiful, yes, but Jack didn't relax in the slightest. As innocent as she appeared- she did look to be about fourteen, after all- there was something about her, something so completely otherworldly about her that made Jack want to fly away from her. But she was holding his staff, and Jack wouldn't part with that for anything in the world. So he remained on the roof, staring at her but not saying anything for what felt like ages.

Finally, she lifted her arm, pointing his staff at him. She was still wearing that odd half-smile, like she knew a secret Jack didn't and enjoyed keeping him unaware. Her hand was completely still and unshaking, keeping the staff steady, like she knew exactly what she was doing with the weapon.

Jack resisted the urge to flinch away, knowing the power the staff held. Of course, there was nothing she could do with it- it was the tool he used to channel his power through, and was useless to most other people. But he had a feeling this girl could do almost anything, and if she wanted to use his staff, well, she would get her way.

"You nearly knocked me off the roof," was all she said, still pointing the staff at him. Her voice was light, floating on the wind, and so airy Jack thought he might lose it if he didn't focus on her words.

He frowned at her. Straightening slightly so he didn't appear as taken-aback as he felt, he said, "Um, yeah. Sorry about that."

The girl took a step closer; only one. She didn't lower the staff, but cocked her head to the side, regarding Jack with a curious expression. "You can see me," she said simply.

It wasn't a question, but Jack felt obliged to answer anyways. He glanced down at the staff before looking back at her eyes, swallowing the lump he felt in his throat. "Yes," he said cautiously. "Any reason I shouldn't?"

The girl's smile widened, revealing white teeth Tooth would have absolutely adored. "I haven't spoken to anyone in 163 years," she said casually, as though she was simply commenting on the weather. She brushed back a stray strand of black hair and smiled cordially at Jack, looking as though she had amused herself at her own comment.

_Now _she had Jack's absolute and full attention. He took another good look at her, trying to see past the deadly staff pointed at him. She was wearing a simple white dress, tied around the middle with a dark purple sash. It was short-sleeved and, despite the cold weather, she was barefoot. She looked at Jack innocently, blinking her big silver eyes.

"163 years?" Jack finally said. "That's a long time."

"Yes," the girl said, still grinning, "but you would know about that, wouldn't you, Jack Frost? Three hundred years- I'd say that tops mine quite a bit."

Jack felt a chill go up his spine that had nothing to do with his internal body heat- or lack, thereof. He clenched his fist, trying to repress the fear this girl invoked in him. He shouldn't be scared of a little girl. He was a Guardian. He should be _helping _her.

"You know who I am?" he asked in a soft voice.

The girl laughed again. She lowered the staff, to Jack's relief, and rested it at her side, staring at it. "Lovely staff," she said thoughtfully. "Wish I had something like this."

"Who are you?" Jack asked abruptly. He stepped forward, eyebrows furrowed. "Are you another spirit?"

The lightest hint of a frown crossed the girl's face. "I suppose you could call me that," she said, sounding thoughtful again. "I don't know if that's the _exact _term I would use to describe myself…"

"How would you describe yourself, then?" Jack asked, feeling curiosity bubbling in him. He glanced at where the sun was sinking over the horizon, wondering idly how he would explain why he was late to the others. They would never believe him if he told them he had run into a girl on a roof and she had taken his staff without him even noticing.

"You don't have to be so anxious to get away from me," the girl said with a light laugh. Jack looked back at her, surprised she had seen where he was looking, but she continued speaking before he could apologize. "I'm sure the Guardians will understand."

Jack took a half-step away from her. "_Who. Are. You_?" he asked sharply, emphasizing the words. He had met many a formidable spirit before, and this pretty little girl could turn out to be evil, ready to take Jack's staff and slit his throat in the dead of night. Jack had learned that appearances counted for next to nothing when it came to the quality of one's heart.

As if she knew exactly where his thoughts were going, the girl's smile drooped. She glanced at the ground, looking ashamed, as though Jack had scolded her for not playing nicely. Her pale features seemed to glow in the light from the setting sun, but she cast no shadow on the snow below her. Jack glanced behind him to see his own shadow, clear as day. Feeling even more wary, he turned back to find her standing only a few feet in front of him, eyes wide and staring at him.

Jack let out a small gasp, leaning instinctively away from her. The girl's eyebrows contracted, coming together. She slowly lifted the staff, holding it out in front of her, not moving her gaze from his face.

Jack hesitated. He glanced down at the staff, just in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he cautiously reached out and grasped the staff around the middle, feeling the familiar chill run through the dark wood at his touch. It sent a burst of confidence through him, and he felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders now that he had his trusty staff back in his possession.

No sooner had he touched the staff had the girl released it. She turned around abruptly and trudged back over to the other side of the roof, picking her way carefully through the snow with her bare feet. She stood at the edge of the roof, staring out at the town of Burgess, which was fast approaching nightfall. She didn't move, but stood there, as still as a statue. A gust of freezing wind rustled her hair and must have stung her bare skin, but she didn't twitch a muscle.

Jack knew he should leave. He had his staff, he could go whenever he wanted. He could get an extra-large cup of hot chocolate from North and forget this whole encounter ever happened. He got the feeling that if he left right now, he would never see the girl again. She would be nothing but a distant memory, a blip on his radar easily pushed to the side.

But somehow, Jack couldn't bring himself to take to the air. Something about her expression just before she had handed over the staff, the way it had folded in on itself, made his heart skip a beat. He knew when someone was in pain, and however brief she had shown it, and however strange she was, this girl was in pain. Jack couldn't leave her. He was a Guardian; it was his duty to watch over children, even the immortal ones.

Stepping lightly over the snow, he crossed to the other side of the roof, where the girl was standing. He came to a stop next to her, leaning against his staff nonchalantly. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked, his tone softer than before, gentler. He hoped to invoke some sort of response out of her, and not drive her away as his questions had so obviously done before.

She stayed silent for another minute, in which Jack contented staring out at the scenery. Finally, she said, "That's not a very specific a question, is it? People always wonder that- who am I? What is my purpose in the world? Why am I important? They never seem to realize wondering that is pointless; they are who they create themselves to be. If they want to be fantastic, they should go out and be fantastic, not sit at home and wonder why they aren't already."

She turned to Jack, and her delicate smile was back in place, any hint of sadness wiped from her expression. "My name is Destiny," she said. "I suppose you could call me a spirit. I'm immortal, for one. I keep track of destinies, fates, purposes, whatever one wants to call it. It varies from person to person, but my purpose stays relatively the same. And you are Jack Frost, the embodiment of winter and recently turned Guardian of Fun. Might I say, congratulations on your defeat of Pitch Black last year, you did an excellent job."

Jack met her gaze, icy blue on deep silver. His mind felt blank as he received this information and processed it. "Thanks," he said, frowning slightly. "You're… you control people's destinies?"

Destiny frowned slightly, toying with the idea. "Not exactly. I mostly just make sure they fulfill them, keep everything on track and under control. Their destinies are already there for me. Just one look at a person, and I know what's to come for them."

"That would be hard to handle," Jack said, sympathy rising in him. He couldn't imagine knowing when and how everyone was fated to die, to have their entire life laid before him like an open map. Would he find the presence of children as joyous as he did if he knew where their lives were going to lead? He felt that the knowledge would be too much to bear for him.

Destiny shrugged, not looking bothered. "I've grown accustomed to it."

A chilling thought occurred to Jack. He gripped his staff tighter, digging his bare foot absentmindedly into the cold snow below him.

"You don't… you don't happen to know the destinies of spirits, do you?" he asked cautiously.

Destiny smiled knowingly at him, eyebrows raised. "Spirits like you?"

Jack grinned sheepishly, deciding it would be pointless to deny it.

Destiny sighed. "Spirits…" she said, tasting the word. "They're much more complex then mortals, aren't they? They have to be, to live so long. Their lives can take many paths over the years; nothing is set in stone for them. So, to answer your question, it is possible to determine a general fate for them if I focus, but nothing is definite, and it's not easy to determine. I do not know whether you are destined to fade next week, or after the next century. It could be either. It could be neither. It could be both, with you."

Jack, however dissatisfied he was with her answer, decided not to push it. "You said you hadn't spoken to anyone in 160 years," he said instead.

"You didn't speak to anyone for three hundred years," Destiny countered.

"Not true," Jack pointed out. "I had run-ins with the Guardians and other spirits. Not often, but yes, I did have a few conversations."

Destiny twitched a corner of her mouth up, but it seemed forced to Jack. "You're lucky, then," she said lightly. "I haven't had a real conversation in many, many years. I've talked, of course, but no one can see me. There was no one to respond." She glanced over at him, an amused smile coating her expression. "I'm boring you, though. You have a little party to get to, have you not?"

Jack shoved his free hand in the pocket of his hoodie, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "It can wait," he said carefully, reluctant to let go of this conversation, to leave this strange girl behind.

"It really can't," Destiny said with a slight laugh, shaking her head. She took a few steps away, lacing her hands together in front of her, blinking serenely at Jack with those huge silver eyes. "Go on," she said, gesturing to the sky with her chin. "You're Jack Frost. Places to go, people to see, and no time to chat with a little girl who can predict the future."

"You can predict the future now, can you?" Jack said, leaning against his staff with a grin. "Tell me, oh wise one; am I going to see you again?"

Destiny raised both her eyebrows. "Look at this," she said, sounding entertained. "Jack Frost, wondering whether he's going to run into the most reclusive and _elusive _spirit ever to walk the Earth for a second time." She leaned in closer, as though telling a secret she wanted to keep just between them. "People normally only see me once," she whispered to him, "if at all."

Jack frowned slightly. "But-"

"Tell you what, Jack," Destiny called, slowly backing away from him. "You can see me again as long as you promise not to knock me off anymore roofs. Have we got a deal?"

Jack felt a smile slowly growing on his face. "Deal," he agreed.

Destiny laughed one last time. "Go," she said, turning her face to the sky and peering up at the clouds.

Hesitating for only a moment more, Jack turned around and leapt off the roof. He felt the winds catch him, carrying him safely through the skies. He spun around to look back at the roof only to find it empty, devoid of any sign someone had been there at all. This troubled Jack, though he had been expecting it somewhere in the back of his mind. Destiny was such an bizarre girl, it just seemed _wrong _that she leave no sign behind, no mark on the world to prove she existed.

Jack spent the rest of the flight to the North Pole wrapped up in his thoughts. He was, by this time, sufficiently late, but it was nothing the Guardians weren't used to. Their youngest member had a rather flighty disposition, and was known for showing up to events days later, without the slightest idea that he wasn't on time. In many instances he was thoroughly surprised when they informed him irritably that he was several hours late, and no matter how many times they made him promise to work on it, Jack never could quite remember. He firmly stood by his opinion that losing track of time just came with being the Spirit of Fun, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He arrived at the Pole to find the skies sufficiently darkened and the windows glowing with light. He alighted on the window that was always open, beckoning him to visit. Standing on the ledge, he peeked into the room in which North entertained them, an apologetic smile already gracing his lips.

The Guardians were seated around the fire, clutching mugs of hot chocolate. Jack wrapped on the window to get their attention, startling them.

"Jack!" Tooth said, wings fluttering as she sprang up. As she set down her mug on the coffee table, Jack jumped inside the room, swinging his staff from side to side.

"Sorry for being late," he said, grunting slightly when Tooth threw herself at him and wrapped him in a hug. Chuckling, he returned the embrace quickly. "Nice to see you too, Tooth."

"Yer two hours late, ya pansy," Bunny called over to him, looking annoyed.

"I had a reason this time," Jack said, twisting expertly out of Tooth's grip and snatching the last mug of hot chocolate off the table. He put it to his lips and took a sip. At this point, the drink was no longer hot, but quite cold; just the way Jack liked it.

"Oh, of course," North said with a booming laugh. "What is it this time? You were attacked by fairies again, hmm?"

"That was only once," Jack said, grinning. He came over to the sofa and leaned against the back of it, just outside the circle of heat the fire projected. After giving Sandy a quick wave in greeting, he stared at the fire, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"What happened, Jack?" Tooth asked, settling into her seat. She looked Jack over, assessing him for injuries. "You look troubled."

"It's, uh… it's kind of hard to explain," Jack admitted. He shifted his hands on his mug, tapping his fingers against the porcelain. "I kind of ran into a girl," he started.

"Oh, crikey," Bunny moaned, looking slightly alarmed. "_Please _don't tell me you've got yerself a girlfriend, 'cause let me tell you-"

"I don't have a girlfriend, Bunny," Jack said impatiently, rolling his eyes. "Honestly. Weird. No, when I say I ran into a girl, I mean I literally _ran _into her. She was standing on top of a roof in Burgess, and I nearly knocked her off the building."

"That's one way to pick up girls," Bunny muttered.

Jack shot him a look. "Do you guys know anything about Destiny?" he asked curiously.

Tooth looked at him blankly. "Like, our fates?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "The spirit, Destiny. That's who I met. Teenage girl, black hair, silver eyes?"

Bunny frowned, his ears twitching as they always did when he was deep in thought. "Don't recall ever seein' a spirit like that. North?"

"Not in all my years," North said, shaking his head.

Jack frowned, a pout crossing his face. "Really? Sandy, you had to have seen her, right?"

Sandy tapped his chin thoughtfully, furrowing his golden brow. An image appeared over his head in a spout of dreamsand, a miniature figure of a girl. Jack couldn't tell the color of her hair and eyes from here, but he found himself looking at almost an exact replica of the girl he had met on the roof. Eyes lighting up, he vaulted himself over the sofa to come closer to Sandy and the image.

"That's her!" he said excitedly, peering closely at the golden sand. "You've talked to her?"

Sandy shook his head. Jack's face fell slightly. "But you've seen her?"

A nod. Jack turned to the others, feeling triumphant. "See. I have a viable reason for being late, and Sandy can back me up."

"Ah, what does it matter, Snowflake?" Bunny asked, peering disinterestedly into his mug. "It's just a girl."

Jack narrowed his eyes, feeling personally insulted by Bunny's slight against Destiny. "She isn't just a girl," Jack snapped at him. "She's a _spirit. _She can see people's destinies, the paths their lives are going to take. No one can see her. She hasn't spoken to anyone in one hundred and sixty years, like- well, like me," he finished in a subdued voice, turning his gaze to the ground. He tapped his staff to the ground, watching the ice spread across the carpet. He knew North hated it, but would let him get away with it anyways.

"Jack." He looked up at Tooth to find her watching him with a knowing, sympathetic smile on her face, and Jack felt a flash of annoyance. How could she know what Jack was feeling? How could Toothiana understand what he had seen in Destiny? The loneliness, the sadness, the longing for Jack to stay even as she pushed him away? Tooth couldn't know, she couldn't sympathize with it, because she wasn't the one who had been alone for three hundred years. No, that was Jack.

"I know what you must be thinking," she continued, "but I don't think there's much you can do for this girl. She has to do her job, and it must be hard, but you cannot interfere."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Why not?" he demanded.

"Jack-"

"No," he said sharply. He set his mug back down on the table with a thud, crossing his arms resolutely across his chest. "You can't tell me to stay away from her, to let her life take its course. I know what it feels like to be alone. It kind of sucks. And if I can help, in any little way, then I'm going to. Even if it's just a little conversation once in a while, it's better than nothing. And there's nothing any of you can do to stop me, anyways." He jutted his chin stubbornly into the air at the end of his declaration, feeling rather proud of himself. It wasn't very often he did anything like this; there hadn't been much reason to, granted, but it felt nice to be taking a stand for something, especially to the other Guardians.

Bunny was watching Jack closely, looking as though he was on the verge of grinning. "What makes yeh think you can find her again, Frostbite?" he asked.

Jack shrugged. "I'll figure that out when the time comes," he said, dismissing the worry.

North clapped his hands together, a sound reminiscent of thunder. Everyone jumped, turning to glare at the jolly Russian man when they realized who had been responsible for the sudden noise.

"I think it's grand idea!" he declared. "Jack, I would love to meet this friend of yours. When you get the chance, bring her here, yes?"

Jack blinked, surprised. "I, uh- yeah, okay. I'll try."

North grinned, grasping his gigantic mug tightly. "Excellent!" he declared, taking a swig. "I will take your word for it, and await her arrival."

Jack settled himself into an empty seat as the conversation turned to other topics. He balanced his staff on his knees, frowning down at it for a long time after the matter of Destiny had been closed with the others. He was now faced with the seemingly impossible task of finding her again, and the even more dreary problem of trying to get her to the Pole. She hadn't seemed very trusting to Jack; it was doubtful she would come with him anywhere without a lot of prompting.

Jack sighed. Why had he run into her on the roof and got mixed up in everything? There were plenty of others that could fly- why him?

**A/N: I'm bored, and it's one in the morning, and this popped out. If you enjoyed it and want more, great; please review! If you hated it, well… move along, then, nothing to see here.**

**R&R**


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